First Sight
by TwilightTales
Summary: People say love at first sight doesn't exist, but Bella knows they're wrong. She watches him every Monday night. She knows everything about him. She loves him. And they've never spoken a word to each other. He doesn't know her. He doesn't see her. Or does he?... EdwardXBella. AH. M.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any characters.**

**One shot! Based on true events! Enjoy!**

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**First Sight**

_"My story is slightly quirky. It's very crazy, a little stalkerish, but completely wholesome and full of love._

_A lot of people have misconceptions about that term. Love. Some people don't believe in it at all. Some people think you have to know someone before you can love them._

_I used to believe the latter. That was, of course, until I saw him._

_I can assure you right now that love at first sight exists._

_The first time I saw him my heart stopped. And I mean that quite literally. I spent the half hour afterwards trying to catch my breath and feeling my heart stutter in my chest. He had looked so handsome, so perfect. He was my soulmate and I was in love._

_Like I said, crazy right?_

_I didn't see him for about a week after that first time. I wasn't sure if it was my fault or his. I was a student at UW studying finance and economics, just a few mere months away from graduating. I worked part time at the coffee-book store downtown, and that's where I'd seen him, a week after I started. But I only worked certain days because of my class schedule and I wasn't sure if my days off were when he mostly came in to the shop._

_But eventually, he came in every Monday night, every week, without fail. I loved it because it was a set shift I always worked, but I hated it because he never came near the coffee counter, the part of the store that I actually worked in._

_He never looked over at me. He never noticed my presence._

_I was starting to think he maybe had no clue he could even buy coffee here._

_He didn't know who I was. And yet I was madly in love with him._

_I couldn't take my eyes of him as he walked about the book store, finding a new read. I admired that about him. He liked to read._

_That was one thing we had in common._

_Although, unlike me, he didn't seem to be a college student. He dressed in well tailored suits, the pants fitting him perfectly and his shirt always showing off his slightly muscular arms and toned abs._

_I hate to say it, but I fantasised about him a lot._

_Those suits stared in my dreams most nights. And added to those dreams was his tousled bronze hair and striking green eyes, though they'd never even met mine. His nose was straight and angular, something I had noticed when he was looking through a book one evening, his perfect lips pursed silently._

_He stayed for over an hour most Monday nights, coming in around half five and leaving again around seven._

_He would always sit in the armchair in the corner (directly in my line of view, I was grateful for) and he would read a few chapters of the book he'd chosen before he'd go to the counter and pay for it._

_I was kinda stalking him. I'll admit that now._

_All my work friends knew about my obsession. I gushed to my best friend, Alice Brandon, that I was in love with him._

_"Love is a strong word." She'd laughed, "Especially considering you've never actually spoken a word to him."_

_"But I just know." I'd told her, "He's meant for me."_

_I'd told her I could see us kissing. I could see myself waking up to him every morning. I could see our wedding, and our babies._

_That was when she was ready to put me in hospital._

_But she let me continue in my little fantasy, urging me to maybe work up the balls to actually speak to him one day._

_But, after a month of Monday's staring after him longingly, I saw my manager, Emmett, talking to him one evening when I was finishing cleaning the coffee machine. I paused, studying them curiously as I noticed that they were chatting like friends._

_Like very good friends._

_I waited until he had left for the night, before I made a cheery conversation with Emmett._

_"So who was that guy you were talking to earlier?" I'd asked._

_Emmett had looked at me like I was crazy. He informed me that there was loads of guys in Seattle, so he had no clue who I was talking about._

_There was other guys in the world? I only saw one._

_But nevertheless, I tried to calmly explain the man of my dreams to him, and when I saw his eyes brighten with realisation my stomach fluttered._

_"Oh! That's Edward!"_

_"Edward?" I pushed for more information now._

_"Edward Cullen. He's my best friend."_

_In that moment a million thoughts and emotions ran through my mind. First, I knew his name._

_Edward Cullen._

_And Bella Cullen sounded exquisite._

_Second, I could stalk his Facebook when I got home that night._

_Third, Emmett was his best friend, and I was very close to Emmett outside of work, there was great chance he could set us up._

_I'd been smiling to myself and Emmett picked up on it, "You like the look of Edward, huh?"_

_"He's very handsome." I admitted._

_Understatement of the year._

_But I had to play it cool for a while._

_And I did._

_I learnt everything about Edward Cullen from Emmett, and also from the times I overheard them talking._

_He was right handed._

_His mother was called Esme._

_His father was called Carlisle._

_He was an only child._

_He had his own business as a medical engineer._

_He drove a silver Volvo._

_He was 25 years old._

_His family home was about a mile away from dad's house._

_His apartment was somewhere in the city centre, and I hoped it was on the side of the city near campus, because then it could've been close to my apartment._

_Over the second month of Monday's, I turned into even more a crazy ass fan girl. I didn't work at all when he came into the store. I just stood staring at him. After work, I'd take the long drive home. I drove away from the city centre, away from my apartment, and towards my dad's house. On my way there, just on the street Emmett had told me about, I saw a silver Volvo parked outside and my heart jumped into my mouth. He was visiting his parents._

_I'd made my way back to my apartment, vowing that I would watch for that silver Volvo every time I left the house._

_And all the while, I continued to learn more about him, which spurred me into falling in love with him even more._

_He hated coffee._

_He loved dogs._

_He'd travelled the world during his summers in college, just like I had._

_He drank wine and beer._

_He always went to the 25 and over clubs in the city at the weekend._

_Damn him. And damn me and my 21 years of age._

_He loved reading the classics._

_He played guitar and piano._

_He was the most gorgeous man I'd ever seen in my life._

_He was a nice guy._

_He adored his mother, and would do anything in the world for her._

_He'd been cheated on by every girlfriend he'd ever had, and he was such a nice guy he never lasted very long in relationships because girls walked all over him._

_That one made my heart bleed._

_But there was one that made my heart break altogether._

_He had a girlfriend._

_Emmett shattered my heart with those words, and he turned his nose up as he said her name; Tanya._

_I hated her._

_She had everything I wanted, everything I craved and loved, and according to Emmett, she didn't even care about him._

_After that, I took a back seat on the Edward Cullen gate._

_I worked on Monday nights instead of staring at him as he read. I didn't take a drive past his parents house as a break from my studying, instead I spent all my nights with my head stuck in my books._

_I slowly started to realise that Seattle held nothing for me, especially if the one man I wanted, I couldn't have._

_Finance was an industry in every city, every country. I could move anywhere after I graduated, and I decided upon New York._

_Alice was beside herself. She told me I was crazy to move simply because Edward didn't realise who I was._

_But she didn't understand the torment._

_Did he go to Tanya's apartment after he left the bookstore every Monday? Did he spend his weekends with her? Had she met his parents? Had he met hers? Had he told her loved her? Was he having sex with her every night while I laid in bed alone? Was he happy with her?_

_After the next month of Monday's, I'd completely ignored the fact he came into the store. In fact, I was so close to my finals that I even had my textbooks and notes in the coffee shop with me._

_And then one evening, I saw someone come towards my counter. I could already tell they were wearing a dark suit and my eyes raised from my textbook slowly as my heart stalled and started up again._

_I hated myself._

_Even though he was with someone else, I still got butterflies every time I saw him._

_He stopped at the counter, and his eyes were behind me on the menu board._

_I took him in fully, the closest he'd even been to me._

_I could smell his cologne and his natural smell of pure primal man.l_

_It drove me insane._

_Suddenly, perfectly, his eyes flicked to mine, and we were staring at each other._

_He had me held captive._

_I was his._

_But I knew that already._

_He smiled softly, a crooked heart stopping smile, "Could I get a coffee to take away please?"_

_"S-sure." I'd stuttered, "Cream and sugar?"_

_"No thanks." He murmured, his eyes staying locked on my own._

_I turned, breathing again now that I was free of his gaze, and I made his drink quickly._

_I set it on top of the counter, noticing his eyes on my textbook._

_I took the money of him and said a soft goodbye as he turned and walked out of the shop._

_I was in panic mode. My hands shook, my heart stalled, I couldn't even breathe._

_I was too in love._

_I was so in shock that it wasn't until a full hour later that I remembered he hated coffee._

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_I booked time off work for my finals, and it killed me as I spent my days and nights studying without seeing his face._

_I waited for sleep so I could pretend that his arms were around me and his lips were kissing my forehead._

_I imagined his honeyed voice telling me he loved me._

_And a few times I even cried myself into a slumber._

_I was grateful when the exams were over, and I spent my time applying for jobs so my escape could come that much quicker._

_Within a day of getting my degree handed to me at graduation, I'd been offered a job with one of the biggest finance firms in America. AP Finances wanted me as a fully fledged finance advisor with a salary and perks I couldn't say no to._

_I accepted the job automatically and handed in my notice to the coffee shop. I had to work my weeks notice and I accepted it gratefully, knowing I had to cross my gaze onto Edward's face one more time._

_Emmett was on holiday until my last shift, so my inside man concerning Edward was MIA._

_It made me nervous._

_But, like any barista, I continued to work and smile at every customer._

_Edward came in on the Monday just like normal, and I watched him as he sat, once again, with his book in the corner._

_It felt weird to know that next week, he'd be right here doing the same thing, and I'd be eating take out Chinese in my brand new apartment in New York._

_I wondered if I could sneak my phone out to take a photo of him. I know it was crazy, but I wanted to keep a piece of him with me._

_And, in that corner, was exactly how I'd watched him for the last few months._

_But I didn't take a photo of him. Instead, I watched him as he paid for his book and exited the shop into the Seattle night, and I said my silent goodbye..._

_I worked the next morning, and as I walked into the shop, Emmett looked at me with a raised eyebrow, asking me why the hell I was working a Tuesday morning._

_I explained to him it was my last shift, and I was jumping on a plane the next day to New York._

_"But- But what about..." He'd trailed off, glancing at the wall quietly._

_"What about what?"_

_"Edward." He stated, "Weren't you quite smitten with him?"_

_I laughed, "Emmett I've hung on every word you've said about Edward. I've watched him every Monday night, I've learnt tons about him... But he doesn't know me. He doesn't look at me. He doesn't even know my name." I smiled, sadly, "He has a girlfriend too... And in all honesty, he doesn't know one thing about me."_

_Emmett didn't say another word to me for my entire shift, but when I was grabbing my bag to leave, he wrapped his arms around me tightly, "I'll miss you." He said sadly, "When's your flight?"_

_"Tomorrow at 10am." I sighed, "I'll have a few days to get my apartment sorted and then I start the new job on Monday."_

_He nodded thoughtfully, "I'm proud of you Bella."_

_"Thanks Em."_

_With one last hug, I walked out of the store, my heart squeezing in pain with all the memories I left behind._

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_I dragged my two suitcases behind me as I walked into the airport at 7:30am. I wasn't a morning person, and I'd dressed myself quickly in my rush to get to the airport on time._

_I had the worst luck with flights._

_I stood in the check in lounge, glancing at the departure screen to see where I should go._

_I had to check in at desk 40._

_I'm pretty sure a few people turned their heads towards me as I groaned in frustration, turning to walk to the end of the long check in hall._

_I finally reached the desk and waited in the queue quietly, my stomach churning at the thought of my new life._

_All because of Edward Cullen._

_Moving up the queue slowly, my heart began to panic as I thought of everything I was leaving behind._

_And then, just as it was my turn to check in, I heard someone pushing and shouting from the bottom of the queue._

_I ignored it, instead placing my passport and ticket onto the counter._

_But before I could even move my hand away, another hand slammed down onto my own._

_A strong, muscular hand._

_"I do know you." His voice caused my nerve endings to jump in surprise, and my eyes snapped up to meet his, widening as I took in his light stubble, his fierce green eyes and his button down shirt and jeans._

_He'd never looked sexier._

_And I'd seen him in a suit for gods sake._

_"You told Emmett I don't see you? You said I don't know you?" He laughed once with no humour, squeezing my hand softly, "Your name is Bella Swan. You're left handed. You love dogs. You hate coffee. You love reading. Your mom is called Renee, she lives in Phoenix. Your dad is called Charlie, he lives in Seattle. In fact, he lives a short drive from my parents house. I drive past there some times to see if you're there. You love chocolate, especially the cheap kind you get at Walmart. You eat the most unhealthy food but never gain weight, and your friends hate you for that. But they also love you because you're the friendliest girl in the world and you're loyal as hell. You drive a stupid red pick up truck that could have you killed every time you drive it. You study finance and economics at UW, and you graduated with first class honours. You're 21. You love vodka and wine, not together though. You're not a morning person. You never fall asleep before 2am. You can't play any instruments, but you love listening to music. Your favourite book is Wuthering Heights. You've travelled the world. Your favourite city is Venice. You-"_

_"How do you know all that?" I whispered quickly, tears betrayed me automatically._

_"Because I saw you." He explained, his tone almost cutting as if it was so obvious, "I saw you on your first shift and I bloody loved you from the second my eyes hit your face. I never believed in love at first sight but after seeing you there was no doubt about it in my head. I love you, Bella." My heart stuttered, and I sucked in a breath, "You didn't see me until a week after that, and that was because I walked past the coffee counter a few times and took a seat in the armchair facing you. I watched you every damn Monday night. And then Emmett started telling me about you, he taught me about you. And his facts, as well as looking at you and learning your mannerisms, just made me love you even more. He said you'd asked about me too, and I thought that maybe I could ask you out, take you to dinner. But the next thing, you were ignoring me!" His face flamed with anger, "You wouldn't look over, I couldn't see your eyes anymore. I felt like someone had cut off one of my arms. I had to go and order a damn coffee to get your attention! And I don't even like coffee."_

_"I know." I whispered softly._

_"And the next thing... You're leaving? You're taking a job in New York? What? I just don't get it! Only for Emmett telling me what time your flight is at, I would've missed you completely."_

_I swallowed hard, glancing around me at the girl at the desk and the others in the queue. They were all staring at us, and I could barely get my words out before my cheeks flamed beetroot._

_"Emmett told me you had a girlfriend. And I couldn't take it. I..." I licked my lips to get the words out a little easier, "When I saw you... It was like I just knew I was meant to be with you and I fell in love with you." Another tear slipped down my cheek as his eyes widened and his hand loosened it's grip on mine. "I couldn't look at you, knowing I wanted to be with you but I couldn't. How was I supposed to feel when I was under the impression you were happy with her? That you loved her?"_

_The green in his eyes almost blazed as he took hold of my face suddenly, making my brown gaze meet his, "I have never loved before you." He told me solemnly, "I broke up with Tanya a month before I even saw you."_

_"But..."_

_"But, Emmett is stupid." He sighed, "Well not really... I wasn't actually really interested in Tanya, we dated for a month or so and it fizzled out. I never told Emmett we broke up because it hadn't been very important in the first place. When I heard that he told you that I almost punched him clean in the face."_

_I'd let a giggle escape my lips at his words, and I watched as his face broke out into a beautiful smile._

_"Bella, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I've literally loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you. Please... Don't go to New York. Don't leave."_

_My mouth opened and closed a few times, and I noticed now that a few queues either side of my own had stopped to hear my verdict._

_"I can't work in the bookshop forever." I stated, "I have a job in New York."_

_"AP has a office in Seattle, you can just request to work here instead." His eyes were pleading._

_"And my apartment? I'm meant to pick up the keys tonight."_

_"You haven't signed the contract yet, right?" I shook my head, no. "Have you paid the deposit yet?"_

_"No, I was supposed to do that all tonight."_

_"Then you can turn the apartment down. No loss there."_

_His face was so hopeful, and I stared up at him as my brain finally processed that he was here._

_He'd come to the airport to try and stop me from leaving him._

_He was so close to me that I could stand on my tip toes and kiss him._

_His hands were on my face, holding me, telling me he loved me._

_I thought he had never saw me. I thought he didn't even know I existed._

_And all the while... He'd saw me before I saw him. He'd loved me before I loved him._

_I smiled softly at him, letting go off my passport and ticket as I reached up to place my hands on his neck._

_His breathing stopped, and he silently asked if I was staying._

_"I'm staying." I nodded softly, "Because I really do love you."_

_He let out a quick breath, wrapping me in his arms and bringing his lips down to my own._

_The kiss was heaven. His lips were soft and gentle, but loving and passionate._

_I knew I would never get tired of them._

_People around us clapped and cheered, and he grinned against my lips as he whispered that he loved me._

_Within minutes we were gone from the airport, my passport unused and in my purse, my plane ticket handed to a stranger, and my suitcases trailing behind me as Edward wrapped his arm around me and led me to his car._

_That silver Volvo. The one I went crazy over. The one I looked for at every turn._

_I was now sitting in it, my hand holding his._

_So, love at first sight really does exist. Edward and I are living proof of that. We've loved each other since we looked at one another, and our love will never end."_

I stared down at my wedding speech, biting my lip as I wondered if I could actually stand up in front of all of our guests and say the words.

It was our story, and as much as I wanted to prove that love at first sight exists, a selfish part of me wanted to keep our story to us.

But in reality it was just because I didn't have the balls to stand up and speak for that long in front of everyone, especially when the half of them had called me crazy for being so in love with a man I had never spoken to.

I glanced sideways at the man beside me, watching as he chuckled with his mother, taking a sip of his drink before he felt my eyes on him.

He turned his head automatically, a loving smile on his lips as his eyes took me in, my wedding dress on my body, my veil pinned into my hair, and his rings on my finger. He grabbed my hand, and I could tell by the wistful look on his face that he was remembering our wedding ceremony, our vows, and that perfect kiss as I was officially announced as his wife.

He pulled me close slowly, placing his lips on my own as he whispered my new name.

Bella Cullen.

My friends had told me I was crazy, and damn, I'd shown them.

Only this morning, as Alice had helped me get into my dress, had I smirked and said to her, "I told you so".

She'd just rolled her eyes and accepted my taunting.

Edward and I whispered that we loved each other, before Emmett's booming voice quieted down the reception hall.

He announced that it was time for the speeches, and I gripped the piece of paper in my hand as I tried to work up the courage to say it all.

Charlie made his speech as father of the bride, before Esme stood up and spoke her speech, wishing Edward and I the happiest life possible.

Eventually, Edward stood up, squeezing my hand softly as he kissed my forehead.

He reached into the pocket of his jacket, taking out a few sheets of paper before he cleared his throat;

"I know everyone just wants to get their dinner and take photos and dance, but I'd like for you all to listen for a while. It's longer than a normal speech..." He glanced sideways at me, smiling wistfully, "And that's because it's not a speech... It's our story. It's the story of how I took one look at Bella and I knew I loved her. It's the story of how I knew I'd marry her and have children with her... It's the story of how, she's my world."

Edward and I had recited the story to each other in our own words before, and I loved hearing our story from his point of view. But I hadn't expected him to have the same idea as me, to tell our story at our wedding speeches.

I stared up at him in wonder, folding up my own piece of paper and setting it on the table.

I didn't need it.

Because with a crooked smile in my direction, Edward grabbed my hand and turned back to our quests, beginning his tale...

**Fin**

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**Please review? Feedback is REALLY appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

With a hushed voice, faraway eyes, and a soft smile, I began, "The prince liked to read a lot, and he always visited the kingdom's bookstore so that he could find a new book. He only went there every month or so, not too often, but he liked to see his friend who worked there. They'd chat for a few minutes and then the prince would let him get back to work.

One day, the prince went into the bookstore. He was looking at a book, and even now, he can't remember anything about it. He can't remember the name, the author, even the colour... Because he looked up from that book, and he laid eyes on the most beautiful princess he'd ever seen... He'd seen a lot of princesses, but none like her. He stared at her, watching, memorising every piece of her... Because he was sure she was going to disappear seconds later... Time had frozen where he stood, and although he couldn't quite believe she was real, he prayed that she was. He held his breath, and he knew that this princess was meant for him. He was in love, within a second, he loved her." Taking a long breath, I continued, "Her hair was pulled back with a red hair tie. She wore no make up at all, an effortless beauty. Her brown eyes entranced him as she laughed lightly at something her co-worker had said. It was in that moment, as he took in her beautiful, perfect face, that he realised she worked there. So he vowed to go to the bookstore every night until she noticed him." I chuckled, shaking my head softly, "He went every night for a week, but only saw her again on the next Monday. This time her hair was down, dark hair that fell along her face and curved around her soft cheeks before flowing down her back. She had rosy red lips, and all he wanted to do was kiss them... But he waited. He figured out that she only worked on Monday's for definite, and so that became the night he always went to find a book. Of course, it was after he was finished his prince duties for the day, but it made his day go a lot quicker knowing he was going to see his princess soon.

Very soon, his friend started to talk to him about the princess. He even told the prince that the princess had asked about him! The excitement that flowed through him could've lit up the entire kingdom. So, the prince started to learn about the princess. He watched her every Monday night when he went to the bookstore. She always played with her hair, especially with her left hand. She used to sneak books off the shelves so she could read them as she worked. She'd read a particular book, Wuthering Heights, the most. So the prince knew it was her favourite. She looked tired a lot, and his friend told him she always went to bed late. So he knew she was a little bold, but he liked that. He didn't want a girl who always stuck to the rules, he wanted one who made him laugh, and liked to do daring things with him! The princess had a wonderful laugh. He would listen to it all night, he would even hear it in his dreams at night. The prince learnt a lot about the princess from his friend too. He learnt that she was very smart, and her castle was very close to his! He learnt that she loved animals, like Snow White. And she was a clean freak, kinda like Cinderella... But the one thing the prince loved the most about her, was that she was completely different from anyone he'd ever seen. Her smile lit up every room, her eyes held a million thoughts and emotions. Her entire being made him feel like he was home." I gave out a long sigh, "But one day, the princess started to ignore him. She wouldn't give him the opportunity to look at her eyes anymore. He knew he'd never spoken to her, but he felt very lonely during that week. And so, one night he made his way over to her. She looked up at him with her wide, doe like eyes, and it was better than anything he could imagine. He wanted to be held in her eyes forever. They kept him safe, made him feel warm and loved, and he just knew he had to have her...

"A week after that though, he didn't see her at all. It turned out she was taking very important princess exams, but he missed her. The next time he saw her, he was very happy. His memory of her did not serve her justice. But she seemed sad, and when he left that night, he never imagined what would happen next."

I paused, collecting my thoughts for a long moment, "The next day, the prince got a call from his friend... The princess was leaving... And even worse than that, she believed the prince loved another princess! He didn't have much time, but he did everything he could to get to her. He couldn't stand the thought of not seeing her ever again, not seeing her smile, or hearing her laugh. It was impossible. So he ran and ran, and he caught her, right before her carriage took her away."

Silence surrounded me as I told the tale, a lump in my throat as I thought back to that day.

"Then what, daddy?" The little voice piped up from the bed beside me, her soft brown eyes watching me expectantly.

I hated the fact that tears were forming in my eyes, but suddenly I was alone, telling the story to no one but myself.

"I caught her. And I told her I loved her."

Neither of us spoke for a long moment, but after a few minutes, a little four year old body was almost jumping out of the bed, her long bronze hair fluttering wildly, "You just said I! You said 'I told her I loved her'... Are you the prince, daddy?! Is mommy the princess?!"

Blinking, I smiled down at my little girl, nodding my head slowly, "Mommy is the princess."

"And you really loved her after seeing her for a second? A SECOND?"

I just laughed quietly, tucking her back into bed, "Yep. After a second."

"Is that the end of the story?" She yawned, her eyes closing against their own will.

"Well... After the prince told her he loved her, she said she loved him too. And then they kissed. And a few years after that, they got married and the princess became a Queen. And a few years after that, they had a little baby together, another little princess. And they lived happily ever after."

My daughter did not respond, as now she was fast asleep, a soft smile on her face.

Suddenly, I felt soft arms moving around my neck as I sat in the chair beside the bed. I grinned, shutting my eyes as I laid back and let my Queen shower my forehead with kisses, whispering once again just how much she loved me.


End file.
